Big Sister
by oneiromancer242
Summary: Flashforward for a reader prompt. Velocity has her hands full babysitting her Mentor's twins - but she loves it all the same. Pure extended Maximoff Family Fluff.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N : For PocketRamblr - thank you again for your support and feedback. Enjoy!**

1

It was sort of fun, being the oldest for once. With so many older brothers to compete with, Flick had never experienced the joys of being the _de facto_ head of a household of children, and was looking forward to exerting what little authority she had that evening, grinning at Angela's fuss and worry and mentally dismissing it as her being a concerned parent.

"And don't forget Ruth needs to take her allergy medicine if she gets near the cats, or she'll come up in hives – oh and where's Ted Bear? Rachael won't settle without Ted Bear, have you –"

"Angie," Flick interrupted kindly, "It's cool, I'll find it. You guys just go have a good time for once. You deserve it"

Her mentor had materialised beside his wife, laid a comforting hand on her shoulder and given her one of those sweet looks he was so good at, one which said _stop it, everything's fine,_ before he'd bent to give Flick a kiss on the cheek and a fond hug

"Thanks so much for this, Lil' Rocket, I hope they won't be too much trouble"

"I'm sure they won't Boss," she grinned, squeezed him tightly, "how much trouble can two little girls possibly be?"

Angela hesitated, considered it, and gave Flick a warm but apologetic look

"I'll remind you of that question in the morning" she said, gave the younger girl a wink. Flick grinned back at her, accepted the tight hug she bent to give her, and waved them out of the door before Angela found something new to worry about. It was about time her adopted guardians got out and had a little fun for once, the twins were such a handful that neither had had much time to do anything but eat, sleep, go to work, and deal with the two demanding girls for the past few years. Ushering them off to the class reunion taking place at the Academy seemed the perfect way for them to unwind and relax for a while. Besides – this wasn't the first time she'd looked after the twins, just the first time since they'd started walking and talking.

Right on cue, Ruth had bounded into the lounge trailing a long green tail behind her, roaring ferociously and pursued by her sister, clad in tinfoil armour and brandishing a toy sword. Before Flick could say anything, Rachael had jumped on her twin and knocked her hard to the floor, the two wrestling, screaming, roaring and shouting at the top of their surprisingly loud voices, almost toppling a coffee table and looking like they genuinely were trying to kill one another. When the hair-pulling had started she'd drawn the line, dropped to her knees and forcibly separated the two.

"Hey, hey!" she warned, "Not so rough! You'll hurt each other"

Rachael gave her a look that radiated pity for her stupidity

"But I gotta slay the dragon" she said patiently, "And rescue the Princess"

"Who's the Princess?"

"You are!" Ruth roared, wriggled out from under Flick's restraining hand and flung herself upon her, little teeth snapping perilously close to her face, "and I'm gonna EAT you up!"

"Fear not fair Princess, I'll save you!"

Rachael joined the fray, jumped on and caught Flick a glancing blow on the cheek with her pointed little elbow, all three of them in a heap on the floor until Flick had had enough and flung the two off perhaps a touch harder then she needed to, over in the corner of the room in a flash.

"It's late" she said firmly, "You should be getting ready for bed. Your father said –"

"Dad's not here" Rachael interrupted, grinned in a devilish fashion that she had undoubtedly inherited from Peter, "You'll have to catch us first"

"You do know I'm just as fast as him, right?"

With a look between them that spoke volumes, the two girls had split, one running through to the kitchen and the other galloping upstairs. Flick had to wonder if they weren't showing some minor speedster tendencies – they certainly had a full dose of Maximoff Mischief. Unable to decide between the two, she had instead stood rather stupidly in the lounge and given both time to hide. This was going to be a long evening.

By the time the girls had finally played themselves tired enough to sit still on the sofa, they had led Flick a merry dance around the house, crawling into hiding places too small for her to follow, pouncing on her unexpectedly and frightening her out of her wits, tripping her, and even setting rudimentary traps for her to speed into. At last, the two had been bored of their games, and crawled up onto the sofa one either side of her to dip into her bowl of popcorn and snuggle close.

"You finished being monsters now?" she asked wearily, "Seriously I've never met kids so naughty"

"Dad lets us" Rachael mumbled around a mouthful

"And what about Mom?"

"Mom can't catch us" Ruth replied, "Can we watch the movie with you?"

Flick thought about refusing and insisting the two went to bed like good children, considered the fact she didn't have the energy to go chasing after them again, and nodded, hugged both to her. Before the credits had even finished both had sprawled out under her arms and were breathing gently in peaceful sleep. Flick breathed a sigh of relief, ruffled the heads of coppery red hair, and smiled to herself. They were cute when they were asleep.

Strange to think that she spent so little time looking after the twins, when they were living so close to her school (in the grounds of the Academy no less,) and when they were, in a manner of speaking, her sisters. She was around them plenty, often coming home with Peter on his extended lunchbreaks, hanging out in the evenings before the school curfew came around – though Xavier was very lenient on her in that respect, knowing she was safe with the little family – and regularly joining them for the all-important Sabbath dinner on Friday nights, despite her being raised Catholic. Their parents were always around then, though, and the two girls seemed a lot more under control when they were with their father, seeming to know that whatever mischief they got into he could do ten times worse and not feeling the need to compete with him on that. Angela was such a protective mother, rarely leaving them and spending the majority of her time at home, seeming happiest and most content when she was with her two baby girls. Flick could see she lived and breathed for those children, had most definitely found her niche as Momma Bear.

Sixteen now, more independent, less of a danger to herself after seven years training with her mentor, Flick didn't mind that her guardians were so focussed on their own children now. They still didn't neglect her, would welcome her fondly into their home as another daughter to be coddled and spoiled to the same extent as their two natural offspring. Peter was still more attentive to her needs than anyone in her birth family had ever been, still treated her with that gentle respect and protective love that he had always done – though thankfully, he'd so far not given her too many 'Dad Talks'. He'd tried, making them both squirm with discomfort, until Flick had suggested he let his own father do it and Peter had agreed immediately. Peter was more like the older brother she wished she'd had – not the violent, selfish boys she'd been raised with until the age of nine, but a sweet and kind soul who wouldn't see her hurt for the world yet encouraged her to take the risks she needed to grow up. Held her hand through everything until she hadn't needed him to any more, but had always been there to offer it when she wanted even after that. Just the way a real family should be.

Though she thought of them sometimes, the ones whose blood ran in her veins and whose name she had kept because it was her own and she needed to remember, she did not miss them. Looked on her childhood, frightened and alone even in such a full house, as another life that was over the moment that Peter had first held out his hand and asked her to come run with him. Now, instead of the runt of the litter, the weird one, she was the older sibling who was special and could do marvellous things. She tried hard to be someone Ruth and Rachael could look up to, and be the good example of a happy thriving Mutant that she had lacked at their age. Took on the role with relish and determination, and just now and again she would catch Angie and Peter watching her with their girls and smiling with such fond approval that it made her blush, feeling like she was succeeding.

Now, if only she could succeed at getting them into bed. The girls knew they could push it with her, despite her best efforts, knew that she wouldn't discipline them like their parents would. She scooped the two up carefully, little dead weights in her arms. Whizzed them upstairs and tucked them carefully into their twin beds, wiggled Ted Bear into Rachael's sleep-limp arms. He'd been on her bed all along – Flick suspected he might have been stealthily hidden to bother their mother. She snuggled him in close to her, making Flick grin with joy at the little dimples that appeared in her cheeks, just like her father. Kissed the two gently goodnight and returned downstairs to stretch out on the sofa until Peter and Angie returned from their reunion.


	2. Chapter 2

2

By the time her guardians had got home, Flick had curled up with her head on a large, soft throw-pillow and dozed off, the TV now playing some late-night talk show in place of the movie she'd been watching. Half-blaming the girls wearing her out and half the wonderfully warm temperature in the house, she'd sat up rubbing away a little drool and trying to blink the sleep out of her eyes, wandered into the hallway to greet them.

Peter had his arm around his awkwardly staggering wife, hanging onto his neck and carrying her high-heeled shoes dangling from one hand. Flick could see instantly that she was perhaps a little drunker than she'd meant to get, smiling dazedly at the girl and pulling her into a sloppy hug. Trying to sound sober and failing hilariously

"Did the girlsh behaves themshelves?" she asked, steadied herself against her husband, "I hopes sho…"

"They were monstrous, but adorable as always" Flick told her, patted her back kindly, "You look… tired, Angie, maybe you should get to bed?"

The older woman nodded, grinned, stood on tiptoe to plant a wet, open-mouthed kiss on her husband's lips, making him laugh at her

"You schtop laughing, _Quick-shilver…_ " she waggled a finger in warming, "Thish ish all _Bobby'sh_ fault!"

"Bobby did not force you to drink all those mojitos" he told her kindly, bopped her gently on the nose. Flick stifled a giggle as Angela went immediately cross-eyed, "He just happens to make the best in town. C'mon hon… bedtime"

She didn't resist as he started to help her up the stairs, almost fell as she leaned to blow a kiss to Flick and bid her a slurred goodnight. The girl returned the gesture, smiled fondly. She was going to have one hell of a headache in the morning. Leaving them to it, Flick had prepared herself and Peter a cup of hot chocolate each by the time he had returned downstairs and collapsed onto the sofa, sprawled out and unfastened the top two buttons of his jeans with a sigh of relief. Let one arm fall over Flick's shoulders and given her a look of exasperated adoration.

"That woman is impossibly fond of rum cocktails," he told her, "but I love her. Were the girls really that bad for you?"

"Nah," Flick laughed, let her head loll against his chest, "They crashed out, I had to carry them up. Boss, those girls are crazy, you know that right?"

"Sure do" he chuckled, "Guess they take after me"

Flick snuggled in a little closer, slipping her arms around his waist as she had done ever since she was a little girl and he was the only person she could allow so close. She was better now, but Peter hugs were still the best hugs. He let out a little groan and reached to gently loosen the arm that rested across his belly

"Not so tight, Flickster" he told her, "Angie's not the only one who overindulged. Jean made mud cake, I feel like I've put on about ten pounds this evening"

Obligingly she had loosened her grip a little, but remained close to his side, letting comfortable silence fall between them. Though it was wonderful for them to be able to chatter at supersonic speeds and know that the other would understand them, it was equally wonderful for them to be able to be quiet and not say a word, no need for nervous babble or to fill the silence that stretched out, until Peter had quietly said

"You make a great big sister, y'know. And coming from me, considering the sisters I have? That's a hell of a compliment"

"You really think so?"

"Yeah," he grinned, looked down at her with warmth shining from his dark eyes, squeezed her to him, "the girls adore you. You should have seen their faces when we told them you'd be looking after them tonight"

She smiled broadly, blushed. Was surprised to find hot happy tears prickling behind her eyes. Sniffled just a bit and turned her face into his chest.

"Hey, Rocket?" he asked, concerned, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing at all," she whispered, raised her face just enough so he could see she was smiling, "I'm just so glad I've got a family like yours"

"Like _ours_ " he corrected, "We'll always be your family too. Don't you ever forget that"

She nodded, brushed at her eyes, laughed quietly to herself

"Thanks Boss," she told him, "I don't know if you're a great dad or a great big brother, but you're sure as hell the best I've ever had of either. And the girls? They're wonderful. I hope I'm always around for them"

"You'd better be, Flick, or your Dad-slash-Boss-slash-brother is gonna have a hard time. Those two would follow you anywhere"

He bent a little to kiss her lightly just on the parting of her long, blonde hair, felt her snuggle closer as it tickled through her scalp. Let her sit quiet for a few more minutes before he had sighed and moved his arm, started to rise.

"I need to sleep, sweetheart" he told her, stifled a yawn behind his hand as if to prove it, "You staying? The room's made up"

"Sure," she smiled, watched how the tiny almost-imperceptible lines around his eyes crinkled when he grinned, let him help her to her feet. Shared one last hug before he had gone to squeeze in beside his sprawled, snoring wife. Fell peacefully to sleep herself in the little room that Peter sometimes slipped up and called 'Flick's room' and didn't know another thing until she had been bounced on at six the following morning by two strong little bodies, pulling the covers away and blinking at the two girls.

"Mornin' kids" she told them, stretched out, "A little early for Knights and Dragons isn't it?"

Ruth rolled her eyes, gave her twin sister a look that said _grown-ups are SO dumb…_

"We're spacemen" Rachael explained, held up the cardboard-box helmet she had made, "We're hunting aliens"

"Did you find any yet?"

"Yes, and we're going to do a n'experiment on it!" Ruth crowed delightedly, wriggled down and stripped all the covers away with a flourish. Flick understood, lay still, regarded the two pairs of depthless chocolate-coloured eyes peeping over the edge of the bed, but not still enough

"It's still alive!" Rachael screamed in mock horror. Her sister aimed her fingers and made _pew! pew! pew!_ noises until Flick got the message, and obligingly flopped onto the bed and closed her eyes.

The girls had played at alien autopsy (honestly, what *did* Peter and Angie let these two watch?!) until summoned downstairs, greeted by the smell of fried food and brewing coffee, a kiss on the cheek from Peter as he had placed heaped plates in front of each of them.

"Hey Angie," Flick smiled. Her guardian groaned at her, rubbed her head, "How're you feeling?"

"Like I need the grease almost as much as he does this morning" she smiled weakly but genuinely, "dig in, guys, I'm sure there'll be seconds if you want them"

The twins had already begun chomping through their breakfast at an alarming rate, Angela giving them both a fond look and seeming a little revived by the time she'd got through a pot of coffee and most of her plateful. Flick couldn't help but be astonished all over again by the girls' appetites – even if they weren't speedsters, they certainly had a measure of their father's insane metabolism in them. They could put away food like a pair of hungry truckers. Jumping up as soon as they had finished devouring and tugging at their mother's sleeves, begging to go to the play-park. Angela gave them a despairing look.

"Kids…" Peter said sternly, "Momma doesn't feel so good, let her be now"

"Buuuuut Daaaaaaaaad…." They whined in unison

"And cut that creepy Shining thing out, you know Momma hates it"

The twins giggled. Peter struggled to maintain his stern look and cracked into a grin, Angela glared at him.

"It's no wonder these two run amuck" she muttered at him, "You couldn't be harsh to them if I paid you"

"Eat your eggs, hon" he grinned, stuck out his tongue at his wife as she made a face at him.

"I'll take them" Flick suggested. Immediately she was swarmed, hands seeming to be everywhere, pulling her from her chair and toward the door before she had time to get a reply from their parents. Angela offered her a permissive wave and a smile as she glanced back, watched the three girls go with a wistful fondness. Allowed her husband to clear away and join her curled back up in bed. It wasn't often they got to just cuddle up together anymore, and they were determined to make the most of it. Besides, Angie felt like she could do with a whole lot more sleep than she'd had. Feeling Peter tangle a hand softly in her uncombed hair as she slid down a little to rest her head on his stomach, feeling him chuckle at her

"It's your own fault if my breakfast keeps you up, you know" he warned

"Don't care," she muttered, rolled her head slightly to plant a kiss on his navel, "S'warm an' soft down here. M'staying"

"Suit yourself, you've been warned," he sighed, set his book aside, fell to gently massaging her head with both sets of fingertips, felt her smile luxuriously against him. "Flick's great with the kids, isn't she?"

Angela laughed quietly, flung her arm up to rest beside her head, wriggled into a more comfortable position and enjoyed the massaging fingers. She could fall asleep like this every day, given the chance.

"Course she is," she murmured dozily, "They're her little sisters"

He smiled his agreement, though she couldn't see it. Rubbed her scalp until he'd felt her breathing slow and deepen in sleep, wondered how bad the hangover really was if she could doze off like that after a whole pot of coffee. Picked up his book and lay comfortably reading with one hand on his wife's back, and knew there was no need to stir when he'd heard the sound of the kid's returning. They were fine with their big sister, after all.


End file.
